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SPECIAL ISSUE: After the India-Pakistan Conflict
Beginning May 7th, the world watched as South Asia's nuclear-armed rivals, India and Pakistan, engaged in the most serious conflict between the two nations in decades. The conflict began when India launched missile strikes on Pakistani-administered Jammu & Kashmir after a terrorist attack in India-administered Kashmir killed 25 civilians. On May 10th, Delhi and Islamabad agreed to a ceasefire, but not before both sides experienced notable military and civilian casualties.
In the weeks following the conflict, India and Pakistan shifted from a military conflict to a global diplomatic offensive, aiming to shift the global narrative in their favor. Both countries sent delegations to the United States in early June, with Pakistan painting India as the aggressor in various meetings and forums in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, India is engaging in a strategy to diplomatically isolate Pakistan as punishment for Islamabad's lack of counterterrorism measures. This special issue highlights some of the most pressing concerns and outcomes in the aftermath of the conflict.
A NEW HYDROLOGICAL STATUS QUO
Among the non-military actions taken by India in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack was the suspension of the 65-year-old Indus Water Treaty, the Indus Basin water-sharing agreement between the two nations. Now, months after the conflict, Delhi has vowed to never restore the Indus Water Treaty, planning to redirect water that previously flowed to Pakistan for its own use instead. The step is potentially ruinous; more than eighty percent of Pakistani farmland relies on access to water from rivers beginning in India. Given the potential detrimental effects on Pakistan's already struggling economy, Islamabad is looking into potential challenges to the Indian decision under international law. (Al-Jazeera, June 22, 2025)
PAKISTAN EYES MORE CHINESE ARMS...
The May conflict between India and Pakistan has led to shifts in defense spending and acquisitions on the part of both countries. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a 20% increase in defense spending following the war, despite cuts to Pakistan's overall budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. India too, increased its defense spending in February of this year, doing so by nine-and-a-half percent.
Additionally, Islamabad is currently in talks to acquire new Chinese-made weaponry, including KJ-500 early warning aircrafts, fifth-generation J-35 warplanes, and HQ-19 surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile systems. Pakistan's Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets proved successful in taking down India's French and Russian made jets during the course of the May conflict. These jets also housed Chinese defense technology that allowed Pakistani fighters to detect and fire on targets beyond visual range. While New Delhi still holds the numerical and strategic advantage, Pakistan's purchases of modern Chinese-made weaponry aim to level the military playing field in the event of future clashes. (Associated Press, June 10, 2025; South China Morning Post, June 12, 2025; Al-Jazeera, July 6, 2025)
...AS INDIA STEPS UP ECONOMIC COLLABORATION WITH BRITAIN
The United Kingdom and India have intensified bilateral economic and security collaboration following the May conflict. In the wake of the ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi, British Foreign Minister David Lammy visited both nations' capitols. In India, he discussed the potential expansion of counterterrorism efforts and trade - building on a May free trade agreement between the two countries that lowered tariffs and increased market access between the world's fifth and sixth largest economies. Additionally, the unexpected diversion of a British F-35B plane on June 14th, which landed in southern India for urgent hydraulic repairs, has prompted fresh questions about the deepening security cooperation between the two nations. (Reuters, June 7, 2025; South China Morning Post, June 20, 2025)
THE WAR OF WORDS FOLLOWS THE WAR
Last month, President Donald Trump hosted a lunch at the White House for Pakistan's powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. The meeting showcased a battle of narratives over the recent conflict. Pakistan has echoed President Trump's assertion that the U.S. played a pivotal role in mediation. India, meanwhile, has rejected it, instead stating that the ceasefire was achieved through direct talks between the militaries of the two South Asian countries. These divergent narratives, in turn, have the potential to adversely affect U.S.-Indian ties, which had warmed in recent months. (Reuters, June 19, 2025)
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